Free His Ever After (Love Square) by Jessica Ingro Page B

pumping. The longer this standoff goes on, the less likely it will end without being messy. I roll my shoulders to relieve some of the tension that has built up there and I down the last of my coffee. It’s late, and I need to stay sharp.
    I love my job. This is the type of rush that I feed off of. The challenge that pushes me to excel and grow as a person. Being a cop is who I am. I was born to serve and protect. Even when I was younger, I was always trying to help people or save animals. My mom called me her little crime fighter whenever I dressed up as a police officer for Halloween or talked incessantly about what I wanted to be when I grew up. There was never a doubt in my mind about whether or not I would be good at what I do.
    Around three o’clock in the morning, the situation deteriorated rapidly. Jeremiah became erratic and started talking about harming himself and not wanting to go on. We mobilized quickly, and SWAT rushed the house in an attempt to take him into custody, instigating a shootout. Thankfully, only the suspect was harmed and transported to a nearby hospital for non-life threatening injuries.
    While filling out reports, I notice the date and curse under my breath. Now that it’s early Monday morning, I realize that Grace’s birthday is tomorrow. I can’t even go home to sleep yet. I need to get to the florist and order flowers for delivery on her birthday. As I leave the precinct, I bang my forehead on the steering wheel and start the car. The faster I take care of business, the faster I get to collapse in bed.
     
    ***
     
    The flower shop is small and cramped. If it weren’t for the fact that I’ve been buying flowers for my nieces since they were little, I wouldn’t be dealing with this right now. There is no way I can let Grace down though. I can just imagine her sad, puppy dog eyes and little, quivering chin when she realizes she didn’t get her birthday delivery. I couldn’t break her heart like that, so here I am sucking up the fact that I’m exhausted and just want to go home and sleep for twenty-four hours straight.
    I weave my way through the different floral displays and head towards the register to place my order. There’s another patron already checking out when I get there. I glance down at my watch and mentally calculate that I’ve been up for roughly thirty-eight hours straight. I force myself not to sigh out loud at that realization. It isn’t their fault that I feel like I’m hitting a brick wall and could fall asleep while standing up.
    “This arrangement is perfect! Just like the little darling and her momma! Thank you so much, Sue, for rushing this for me! I didn’t expect Sam to go into delivery early,” the woman in line says to the shop owner.
    When I hear the name, my ears instantly perk up. It’s only then that I really pay attention to the woman standing in front of me. She has blonde hair, curves that go on forever, and her voice is eerily familiar.
    Fuck. It’s Michelle Kelsey and she’s talking about my Sam. I look around her to the floral arrangement that is sitting on the counter. It’s filled with pink roses, white stock and pink waxflower, and there is a “Congratulations” balloon next to an “It’s a Girl!” balloon.
    I feel like I’ve just been sucker punched, knowing Sam had her baby. An utter sadness takes over my whole being. The world in front of me looks a little darker. All the colors seem muted and a hopelessness that has been on my periphery for the last eight months has taken over.
    Sure I’ve wondered about Sam and her baby. I’ve wondered if it was a little girl or boy, and if she’s happy about being a mom. I’ve wondered a lot of things these last few months. What I wasn’t expecting was having the chance to find out the answers.
    I clear my throat and tap her on the shoulder. Michelle turns around and her eyes widen when she sees me standing behind her. She appears just as shocked at seeing me as I am about seeing